Recorded by Ska Cubano, The Jolly Boys, and several older distinguished calypsonians:

I asked my woman what should I do
To make her happy and to keep her true
All she said that I need from you
Is a little tiny piece of the big bamboo

Chorus:
The big bamboo, it grows good and strong,
The big bamboo, it grows good and long
Big bamboo stands up straight and tall
And the big bamboo pleases one and all

I gave my girl a banana plant
She said my friend this is elegant
It's much too nice to go to waste
But much to soft to suit my taste

Chorus

I gave my girl a sugarcane
Sweetness is sweet, I did explain
She gave it back to my surprise
She like the flavour but not the size.

Chorus

I gave my girl a coconut
She said my friend this is OK but
There's only one thing that worries me:
What good is the nut without the tree?

Chorus

I met a Chinaman named Dick Hung Lo
He got married in Mexico.
His wife divorced him pretty quick -
She liked bamboo, but not chopstick